Method of manufacture for latch unit and intermediate product



Aug. 16, 1955 G. E. SWANSON 2,715,541

' METHOD OF MANUFACTURE FOR LATCH UNIT AND INTERMEDIATE PRODUCT Filed on. 20, 1954 F|G.7 FIG.8 FIG.9

INVENTOR.

y GUNNAR E. SWANSON A T RNEY United States l atent ()fiFice 2,715,541 Patented Aug. 16, 1955 METHOD OF MANUFACTURE FGR LATCH UNIT AND INTERMEDIATE PRODUCT Gunnar E. Swanson, Middletown, Conn.

Application October 20, 1954, Serial No. 463,409

3 Claims. (Cl. 292--246) The invention relates to a latch device of the type comprising a latch unit adapted to be secured to the body of a suitcase or other receptacle and having a pivoted latch engageable with a strike attached to the cover of the suitcase or other receptacle. The invention relates more particularly to the latch unit of said device.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved method of manufacturing for a latch unit of the type specified.

Another object of the invention is to provide an article of manufacture which is an intermediate product in the manufacture of the latch unit, the said intermediate product being the result of preliminary assembly steps and being adapted for a final assembly step or operation.

In the drawing I have shown in detail a preferred embodiment of the structural features of the invention and I have illustrated a preferred form of the method of the invention, but it will be understood that various changes may be made from the construction and the method shown, and that the drawing is not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims forming a part of this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

Of the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front View of a latch unit manufactured in accordance with the invention together with a strike with which the latch of the latch unit is engaged.

Fig. 2 is a left side view of the parts shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the latch in its lower inoperative position.

Fig. 4 is a front view of the bracket of the latch unit in an intermediate stage of manufacture.

Fig. 5 is a left side view of the bracket as shown in Fig. 4.

Fig.

Fig.

Fig.

Fig.

6 is a front view of the leaf spring of the latch unit. 7 is a left side View of the spring shown in Fig. 6. 8 is a front view of the latch of the latch unit. 9 is a left side view of the latch as shown in Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged side view showing the bracket, spring and latch of the latch unit in intermediate positions of assembly, the latch being shown in section along the line 1010 of Fig. 12.

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10, but showing the parts in another intermediate position of assembly.

Fig. 12 is a front view of the parts in the intermediate position of assembly as shown in Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 11, but showing the parts in their final positions of assembly.

Fig. 14 is a front View of the parts in the final position of assembly as shown in Fig. 13.

As shown in the drawing, the latch device comprises a latch unit 13 and a strike 12, adapted respectively to be attached to the body and cover of a suitcase or other receptacle. The latch unit comprises a sheet metal bracket 14, a leaf spring 16 and a pivoted latch 13 held by the spring. The strike 12 has a forwardly projecting integral lug 20 adapted to be engaged by the latch 18 when in its upper operative positions as shown in Figs. 1

2v and 2. The latch 18 is movable to a lower inoperative position as shown in Fig. 3.

The invention relates more particularly to the manufacture of the latch unit 10 which will be described in greater detail. For convenience of description it will be assumed that the unit is in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Such terms as top, bottom, vertical, horizontal and the like serve to define the relationship of parts but they do not otherwise limit the invention.

Figs. 4 and 5 show the bracket 14 in an intermediate stage of manufacture. The bracket is made from sheet metal and it is formed with a forwardly rojecting intes gral housing 22 having a front wall and horizontally spaced substantially parallel side walls. The side walls of the housing have horizontal edges at the top. The upper portion of the front wall of the housing is vertical but the lower portion of the front wall curves downwardly and rearwardly as shown. The housing preferably has a short top wall as shown. The housing side walls are provided with horizontally aligned apertures 24, 24 near the rear thereof and spaced downward from the tops thereof. The bracket 14 is also formed with two similar vertical wings 26, 26 extending respectively from said side walls in opposite lateral directions and adapted for the attachment of the bracket to the body of a suitcase or other receptacle. The wings 26, 26 extend continuously from top to bottom with their upper portions 26A, 26A directly joined with the corresponding side walls of the housing 22 and with their lower portions 26B, 263 separate from the said corresponding side walls by reason of vertical slashes 28, 28. The slashes 28, 23 extend from the bottom of the bracket to the corresponding apertures 24, 24 which are primarily in the side walls of the housing 22. in the finished latch unit, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the wings 26, 26 are flat and are engageable with a fiat face on the suitcase or other receptacle. The wings are shown as provided with holes 30, 311? for receiving rivets.

Although the wings 126, 26 are flat in the completed unit, they are not fiat in the intermediate stage of manufacture shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The lower wing portions 26B, 26B are initially bent rearwardly at an angle to said upper portions 26A, 26A and along a transverse horizontal line 32 near the tops of said apertures 24, 24 so as to provide passageways 34 at the sides of the housing 22 and extending from the bottom of the bracket to the side wall apertures. The rearward bending of the portions 26B, 26B is made possible by the slashes 28, 218.

The leaf spring 16 is shown in detail in Figs. 6 and 7. The spring is of such width as to fit within the bracket housing 22. It is so shaped that the central portion thereof extends across the apertures 24, 24 near the rear thereof when the spring is placed in the housing 22 as shown in Fig. 10.

The latch 18 is shown in detail in Figs. 8 and 9. The latch is formed of sheet metal and it has a flat crossbar 36 at its lower end. The vertical width of the crossbar 36 is such that it can enter the apertures 24, 2.4 in the side walls of the housing 22. The latch has an opening 38 above the crossbar, the width of the opening 38 being such that it can receive the housing 22, The opening 38 has an Upper portion 38A which is narrower than the portion 38 and narrower than the housing 22, shoulders 46, 40 being thus provided. The spacing between the shoulders 40, 40 and the crossbar 36 is accurately predetermined as hereinafter more fully explained.

In practicing the method of the invention, the bracket 14 and the spring 16 and the latch 18 are provided, all of them being formed substantially as has been described in detail. In assembling the parts, the spring 16 is first put in place manually in the housing 22, this being illustrated in Fig. 10. The short top wall .of the housing V wardly to the position shown in Fig. 11.

prevents the spring from moving upwardly beyond the position shown. It will be observed that the central portion of the spring extends across the apertures 24, 24 in the housing side walls and near the rear of said apertures. The latch 18 is then manually assembled with the bracket and spring. The initial position of the latch may be widely varied, but it maybe approximately that shown by dotted lines in Fig. 10. The crossbar 36 of the latch is' maintained horizontal or in substantial parallelism at r all times and in the dotted Fig. position it has been moved upwardly through the before-described passage- "ways 34 and the lower portion of the housing 22 has been entered in the latch opening 38. i

a From a position such as that shown by dotted lines in Fig. 10, the latch is moved upwardly and is swung rearwardly to the position shown by full lines in Fig. 10. In

7 this position the crossbar 36 partly enters the apertures 24, 24 and engages the spring 16 without flexing it, and the shoulders of thelatch engage the front of the housing 22. From the position shown by full lines in Fig. '10 the latch is moved upwardly and swung rear- It will be understood that the movement is not delayed at the Fig. 10

position and that the movement to the Fig. 11 position is a continuous. In the Fig. 11 position the crossbar 36 has moved upwardly and forwardly sufiiciently to somewhat flex the spring 16, and the shoulders 40 have been moved so as to engage the upper edges of the side walls of the housing. The spacing between the shoulders 40, 40 and the crossbar 36 is so related to the dimensions of the housing that the Fig. 11 relationship is established. The flexed spring 16 tends to move the crossbar 36 downwardly and rearwardly and thus the shoulders 40, 40 are pressed against the top edges of the housing side walls. In this way the parts are relatively firmly held in the positions shown in Fig. 11. It will be observed that the crossbar 36 is at the front of the bent wing portions 26B, 26B

and is in register with the openings 24'so that it can readily enter the openings during the next following operation.

The parts in'the Fig. 11 position constitute an article of manufacture which is 'an intermediate product in the manufacture of the complete latch unit. The several parts are not yet permanently connected with each other,

but they are nevertheless connected sufi'iciently securely to enable'them' to be handled and stored until the next following operation is performed upon them.

The next following operation involves the forward bending of the initially rearwardly bent lower portions 26B, 26B of the wings so as to bring thelast said portions into the same vertical plane as the upper portions 26A, 26A. The final positions of the lower portions of V the wings are shown in Figs. 13 and 14. As the wing por- 'tive strike engaging position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 or to its lower inoperative position as shown in Fig. 3. The leaf spring 16 presses forwardly on the crossbar and, inasmuch as the crossbar is flat, the spring tends to'hold the latch either in its said upper position or in its said lower position. 7

It will be observed that ajlatchunit manufactured in accordance with the invention has flat uninterrupted wings 26, 26 for the attachment of the unit to a receptacle. The slashes 28,28 necessary for assembly are vertical and are very close to the housing 22 where they are not readily noticeable; This greatly improves the appearance of the unit. No metal isremoved when the slashes 28, 28 are formed for the rearward bending of the wing portions 26B,'26B as showniin Figs. 4 and 5,

and there is therefore little or nospacing at the said slashes when the wing portions are moved to their for ward positions as shown in Figs. 13 and 14, the two sides of each slash being practically in contact.

The provision of the intermediate product shown in Figs. 11 and 12 greatly facilitates. manufacture. preliminary assembly of the parts is necessarily manual, and with the preliminarily assembled parts connected and held, as shown, the preliminarily assembled parts can be handled and can be stored as an intermediate product until required for the final operation.

The method of manufacture is very simple as the latch can be moved upwardly and then turned on the axis of the crossbar 36 to reach the full line Fig; 10 position and then the position shown in Fig. 11. The crossbar 36 is not moved out of a' horizontal position.

The invention claimed is: V 7

1. The method of manufacturing a latch unit which,

comprises forming a sheet metal supporting bracket with a forwardly projecting integral housing having a front wall and horizontally spaced substantially parallel side walls and horizontally aligned apertures near the rear thereof and two similar vertical wings extending respectively from said side walls in opposite lateral directions, said wings extending continuously from top to bottom with their upper portions directly joined with the corresponding side walls, forming vertical slashes in the lower portion of said wings adjacent the side walls of the housing from the bottom of the bracket to the corresponding side wall apertures, initially bending said lower portion of the wings rearwardly at an angle'to their upper portions along a transverse horizontal line nearv the top of said apertures so as to provide passageways in the side of the housing extending from the bottom of the bracket to the side wall apertures, providing a leaf spring adapted to fit within the housing, providing a latch having a flat cross bar at its lower end and having an opening located above the cross bar of such width as to be adapted to.

receive the housing, placing the leaf spring in the housing to engage the front wall thereof and so that a portion of the leaf spring extends across thehousing side wall apertures, moving the latch upwardly relative to the bracket and spring so that the cross bar moves upwardly in substantial parallelism through said passageways and approximately registers with said sidewall apertures andv thereafter forwardly bending theinitial rearwardly bent portions of thewings so as to bring them into the same plane as the upper portion of the wings and thereby force the cross bar into the apertures and thereby flexing the spring forwardly and closing said passageways and confining the cross bar in the apertures.

2. The method of manufacturing'a latch unit which comprises forming a sheet metal supporting bracket with a forwardly projecting integral housing having a front wall and horizontally spaced substantially parallel side walls and horizontally aligned apertures near the rear thereof and two similar vertical wings extending respectively from said side walls in opposite lateral directions, said wings extending continuously from top to bottom with their upper portions directly joined with the corre sponding side walls, forming vertical slashes in the lower portion of said wings adjacent the side Walls of the housing from the bottom of the bracket to the corresponding side wall apertures, initially bending said lower portion of the wings rearwardly at an angle to their upper por-' tions along a transverse horizontal line near the top of said apertures so as to provide passageways in the side of the housing extending from the bottom of the bracket to the side wall apertures, providing a leaf spring adapted to fit within the housing, providing a latch having a flat cross bar at its lower end and having an opening located above the cross bar of such width as to be adapted to. receive the housing which opening has an upper portion narrower than the housing with resultant shoulders en- The.

gageable with the housing side walls, placing the leaf spring in the housing to engage the front wall thereof and so that a portion of the leaf spring extends across the housing side wall apertures, moving the latch upwardly relative to the bracket and spring so that the cross bar moves upwardly in substantial parallelism through said passageways and approximately registers with said side wall apertures, pivotally moving the latch forwardly so that said shoulders engage the tops of the housing side walls to temporarily hold the latch in place, and thereafter forwardly bending the initial rearwardly bent portions of the wings so as to bring them into the same plane as the upper portion of the wings and thereby force the cross bar into the apertures and thereby flexing the spring forwardly and closing said passageways and confining the cross bar in the apertures.

3. An article of manufacture constituting an intermediate product in the manufacture of a latch unit for a latch device of the class described, said article comprising in combination a sheet metal supporting bracket formed with a forwardly projecting integral housing having a front wall and horizontally spaced substantially parallel side walls provided with horizontally aligned apertures near the rear thereof which bracket is also formed with two similar vertical wings extending respectively from said side Walls in opposite lateral directions, said wings extending continuously from top to bottom with their upper portions directly joined with the corresponding side walls and with their lower portions separated from the said corresponding side walls by vertical slashes adjacent the side walls of the housing and extending from the bottom of the bracket to the corresponding side wall apertures and said wings having their said lower portions bent rearwardly at an angle to their said upper portions and along a transverse horizontal line near the tops of said apertures so as to provide passageways at the sides of the housing extending from the bottom of the bracket to the side wall apertures, a leaf spring mounted within the said housing and engaging the front wall thereof which spring has a portion extending across the side wall apertures, and a latch having a flat crossbar at its lower end which is at the front of the rearwardly bent lower portions of the wings and which enters the side wall openings sufficiently to engage and rearwardly flex the last said portion of the leaf spring, said latch extending generally forwardly and upwardly from the said crossbar and having an opening located above the crossbar and receiving the upper portion of the housing which opening has an upper portion narrower than the housing with resultant shoulders that engage the upper edges of the housing side walls and cooperate with the leaf spring to hold the latch in place on the bracket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 255,122 Sessions Mar. 21, 1882 1,122,211 Mann Dec. 22, 1914 1,964,104 Borthwick June 26, 1934 

